[shawnC]

Hi everyone

I want to make a pistachio pie, does anyone know of any good pistachio pastes ?

Thanks

[Barbara]

Clotilde posted about this paste.
Here's the link
[/url]http://chocolateandzucchini.com/archives/2004/11/pistachio_cookies_imbb10.php[url][/url]
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Barbara

[shawnC]

Thank you Barbara, yet I live in NY, thus I can't shop at G Detou

[Deste]

I'd be cautious about the brand sold through Amazon.com--if there is only one.

More trustworthy is http://www.purelyorganic.com's Pistachio Cream containing organic pistachios from Siciliy and organic raw cane sugar and nothing else, therefore it's a vivid green. It's produced by Stramondo srl in Sicily.

This will cost you, though. Whole Foods was charging somewhere between $10 and $15 for 8 oz. and online businesses up to $35!!! I bet you could find a source in Manhattan, though you might consider lining tarts with the paste or baking sandwich cookies such as French macaroons or Italian cookies with almond flour and dark chocolate if a single jar is as much a splurge for you as it is for me.

Some brands pack a lot of extras into the paste or cream since pistachios from the Sicilian town of Bronte are extremely expensive. Since Bronte http://www.bronteinsieme.it/BrIns_en/4ec_en/pist_en.html is famous for the quality of its pistachios, it doesn't make sense to buy a product that doesn't offer their intense flavor, especially if it costs only slight less. BTW, the harvest is in September, so new jars should be available now or soon.

For example, some companies mix in a lot of almonds, extra sweeteners and use green food coloring to make the paste seem to be more pistachio than it actually is, so read the list of ingredients closely.

A better option might be to find a source for inexpensive, good pistachios and shell them yourself to make your own paste. It's only nuts and a little sugar and I bet you could do it easily in a food processor. I think I found on-line instructions once.

[shawnC]

Thank you for your help

[Deni]

Shawn,
If you have ever made peanut or almond butter, it’s just that easy.
Wholefoods or Trader Joes sells shelled pistachio nuts, toast them in the oven first and grind them with a little extra fine sugar into a smooth paste.
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Aloha nui,

Deni

Lost no more but still in paradise...

[Deste]

I'm finally getting around to using my jar of pistachio paste this week to fill cookies. I found these instructions and proportions in a recipe from the same book:

2/3 cup unsalted, shelled and peeled (!!!) pistachio nuts
1/2 cup sugar

The two should be ground together in a food processor. It's that simple!

I know it's easy to get the skins off of almonds; you just plunge them into boiling water and leave them there for a minute. The nuts pop right out.

But the thin, fragile skins of pistachios? I'm sure that's one reason the paste is so expensive, and skinned, so beautifully green. (I also found a web site for professional pastry chefs and the pistachio paste sold there was even more expensive.)

Anyone with suggestions for peeling the nuts quickly? I also have the nuts to use, so I may try the same method used for almonds, for maybe half a minute. I suppose the other way to go is simply rubbing the shelled nuts vigorously in kitchen towels.

* * *
Meanwhile, I am curious about the original post. What are pistachio pies?

[Rainey]

I haven't ever tried to get all the peel off pistachios but I'd do as Deni says above: put them on a pan and roast them a little while on low heat. When they come out of the oven, pour them onto a kitchen towel. Rub them between your hands still in the towel and most of the peels should slip away.

Works with hazelnuts. Can't imagine why it wouldn't with pistachios.
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[Deni]

Deste
I do believe that a 1/2-cup of sugar is too much for the 2/3-cup of pistachios. I suggest using a 1/4-cup at first as you can always add to the formula. Also you will need to salt the batch, as it will be flat without some. Lastly don’t sweat the small amount of skin that will inevitably remain on the nuts....
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Aloha nui,

Deni

Lost no more but still in paradise...

[Deste]

Thanks for the tip about low heat and roasting before rubbing.

[cosmopolita]

Hi, this is my italian recipe of pistachio paste:

http://croce-delizia.blogspot.com/2009/06/gelato-al-pistacchio.html

If you want I can translate here the recipe...

Ciao
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